Self-closing gate



No. 609,668 Patenteq Aug. 23, I898.

P. B. GREEN. SELF CLOSING GATE.

(Application filed Juna 4, 1898.) (N0 M0 I.)

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NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PEYTON B. GREEN, OF WYTHEVILLE, VIRGINIA.

SELF-CLOSING GATE SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 609,668, dated August 23, 1898. Application filed June 4, 1898. Serial No. 682,584. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PEYroN B. GREEN, of Wytheville, in the county of Wythe and State of Virginia, have invented a new and Improved Self-Closing Gate, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a' new and improved self-closing gate which is simple and durable in construction and arranged to permit of convenient adjustment of the closing device for closing the gate with more or less force, as desired.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improvement. Fig.2 is a transverse section of the same on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a similar view of the. same on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

The gate A is mounted to swing in the usual manner on a post 13, and on the top bar of said gate near the pivotal end is journaled a roller 0, engaged by the upper end of a rod D, extending at an angle from the gate A and fulcrumed at its lower end on a fixed support E, set a suitable distance from the post B at a right angle to the line of the gate. On the rod D is held movably a weight F of any approved construction, adapted to be secured in place on the rod by a set-screw G or other means.

Now it will be seen that the weight of the rod D, bearing on the roller 0, tends to keep the gate A in a closed position, and when the gate A is swung open toward the rod D then the latter travels with its free end on the roller C, which revolves in its bearings. Thus the rod D swings into nearly a vertical position at the time the gate A is fully opened; but as soon as the operator releases the gate the weight of the rod D pressing against the roller causes the gate to swing shut. By changing the position of the weight F up or down on the rod D the gate can be closed with more or less force, as desired.

In order to prevent the rod D from leaving the friction-roller when opening and closing the gate, I prefer to provide the bracket in which the roller is journaled with a loop 0,

as is plainly shown in' Fig. 1, the loop extend- 5 5 ing over the roller, as illustrated.

The free end of thegateA is provided with a plurality of parallel pins H, adapted to be engaged by the hook ends of latches I, fulcrumed on the post B and pivotally connected with a bar J, arranged on the outside of the gate and adapted to be taken hold of by the operator to unlock the gate by moving the bar J upward, so as to swing the latches I out of engagement with the pins H. The downward movement of the bar J is limited by a pin K on the post 13 to hold the latches normally in a horizontal position, as indicated in Fig. 3, so that when the gate swings shut the pins H travel over the inclined hook ends of the latches I against the post B, so as to be engaged by the hooks of the latches as the latter swing back to their forward position by the action of the weight of the bar J. Thus the gate is locked automatically as it is closed.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as newand desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination, with a gate mounted to swing and provided with a guide-roller, of a rod standing at an angle to the gate and carrying an adjustable weight, the lower end of the rod being fulcrumed on a fixed support, and the free end of the rod resting on said roller, so that the weight of the rod tends to hold the gate in a closed position and permits of swinging the gate open, the free end of the rod traveling on the guide-roller, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with a gate mounted to swing and provided with a guide-roller, and a fixed loop extending over the guideroller, of a rod standing at an angle to the gate and carrying an adjustable weight,- the outer, lower end of the rod being fulcrumed on a fixed support, and the free end of the rod resting on said roller and extending through the loop, so that the weight of the rod tends to hold the gate in a closed position and permits of swinging the gate open, said gate when the gate is closed whereby to keep free end of the rod traveling on the guidethe gate in such position.

roller, substantially as shown and described. I

3. The combination of a swinging gate, and PEYTON GREEN 5 a weighted swinging rod, mounted adjacent Witnesses:

to the gate and having sliding engagement ROBERT CROOHETT, J12,

therewith, the rod standing at an angle to the ROBERT L. POAGE. 

